BACKLIST

FOOD

FLAVOUR OF THE FOBTNIGHT

THE PEAT INN

David Wilson offers the following recipe as an example of a tasty dish using fairly ordinary ingredients and very simple to prepare. It can be served as a starter at dinner, or a supper dish.

Smoked Haddock with a Cheese and Herb Crust

ForFour

4 fillets haddock (pale smoked)

Cheese and herb crust: Zoz grated cheddar cheese 30: fresh white breadcrumbs 2 egg whites

V. pt milk

1 tbsp chopped chervil

1 tbsp chopped dill

ground black pepper

egg wash

Citrus sauce:

1 lemon, 1 orange

4floz virgin olive oil

1 tsp caster sugar

To make the sauce, peel the lemon and orange and remove the membranes. Put segments in quuidiser, blend slowly adding olive oil. Add sugar and blend until emulsified. Mix all the crust ingredients in a bowl and leave to stand for at least an hour. Spread this mixture on top of the smoked fillets, then brush them with egg wash. Place under a pre-heated grill until topping is golden. To serve, place each fillet in the centre of a warm plate, garnish with some diced tomato and run a little of the citrus sauce around the edge.

The Peat Inn, Peat Inn, Cupar, Fife, 033 484 206.

Le Sept

7 Old Fishmarket Close Edinburgh lunch and dinner Monday to Thursday

all day Friday and Saturday Sundays dinner only

telephone 031 225 5428

(AFEQANDOLFI

Tm; Frown or rm: FOREST

JQ:

Glasgow Gl INY TEL: 041 552 6813

64 Albion Street l

Scotland the very very tasty

Catherine Fellows previews the Scottish Food Proms - a major event dedicated to promoting the best of Scottish produce of which so much at present goes straight to Europe and London.

For the week starting 26 April. l’erth is to become a culinary Mecca. Following the success of last year"s inaugural event. the city is hosting the second Scottish Food Proms. This celebration of Scottish food and cooking begins with a sumptuous (iala Dinner ofeight courses. each created by one of the nation‘s top chefs. ()n subsequent evenings there will be a dinner prepared by Shaun Hill. Egon Ronay Chef of the Year. and Alistair Little from Little's in London: a Wine Dinner and tasting in association with ()ddbins; Seafood and (‘hocolate Dinners from chefs including Bruce Sangster. captain of the Scottish team which excelled itself at the Culinary Olympics in Frankfurt last October; and finally. a special four-course meal from Vanessa Binns. BB(‘ Masterchef l992.

Other events include a (iourmet Lunch specifically designed for school children and celebrity ‘table talk' buffet lunches at which members of the public

will be able to question culinary movers and shakers including Brian Turner. BBC Food and Drink chef. Catherine Brown of The Herald and former Masterchel' Sue Lawrence. There will be tutored tastings of chocolate. wine and whisky. nineteen celebrity cookery demonstrations. and an exhibition and free tastings of some of the best of Scottish produce including seafood. game. lamb and beef. cheeses. honey and fruit. Apart from these public events. conferences are also scheduled for the many members of different areas of the catering trade who are expected to flock to the heart of Scotland during the Proms week.

One name which appears on almost every page of the Proms programme is that of David Wilson. As chef proprietor of The Peat Inn. near Cupar, Wilson has established a reputation for exceptional cooking. but also for the past twenty years he has been pouring his considerable energies into promoting Scottish produce. ‘There have been tremendous improvements in the availability of quality Scottish food in recent years and in the expectations of the general public.‘ he says, ‘but it is still a tiny percentage of the overall market which is making use of the wonderful variety of fresh local materials. We hope that this event will inspire the public and raise the level of awareness at little bit —- at the moment. so much of the best of Scottish food goes straight to liurope and London. because there isn‘t the appreciation or demand for it here.’

While the marketing men have successfully projected an exclusive image for Scottish smoked salmon. oysters and the like. there are many exciting ingredients that are well within the reach of the average purse. 'At The Peat Inn. for example. we serve venison liver it is so tender and delicious. and it costs peanuts.' says Wilson. ‘The dish 1 am preparing as an opening "taster" for the Gala Dinner is a mutton stew. It is made from the cheapest cuts of meat. which many wouldn't think of buying but cooked long and slow. the texture doesn't matter and you get a fabulous flavour. much fuller than young lamb.‘

Another dish on the Gala menu is wild mushroom soup. ‘Scotland's woods are teaming with wild mushroomsjust

83 The List 23 April—6 May 1993